1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid electrophotographic imaging apparatus upgrade support system using network and method for upgrading data for calculating the concentration of a developer. The present application is based upon Korean Application No. 98-54535, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a general liquid electrophotographic color printer. Referring to FIG. 1, a printer includes a reset device 15 adjacent to a circulation path of a photosensitive belt 14 that circulates around rollers 11, 12, and 13, optical scanning units 16, developing devices 30, a drying device 18, and a transfer device 20. Reference numeral 39 is a waste developer container.
The reset device 15 includes an erasing device 15a for irradiating light to the photosensitive belt 14 to remove an electrostatic latent image, and a charging device 15b for charging the photosensitive belt 14 to a predetermined electric potential.
Four optical scanning units 16 respectively scan yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K color information. The four developing devices 30 respectively supply yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K developers to the photosensitive belt 14.
The developing devices 30 include a developer supply container 32 for holding developer 33 to be supplied to the photosensitive belt 14, and a developer tub 31 for collecting developer 33 that falls from the photosensitive belt 14. A developing roller 36, a brush roller 37 for removing developer 33 stuck on the developing roller 36, a squeeze roller 34 for separating a liquid carrier from the developer 33 supplied to the photosensitive belt 14, and a plate 35 for collecting the liquid carrier that falls down through the squeeze roller 34 in the developer tub 31 are arranged in the developing tub 31.
The developer supply container 32 is designed to receive the developer 33 stored in the developer tub 31 and the liquid carrier (norpor) N, which is a solvent and toner or highly concentrated developer that is a developing material from a developer supplier 38. The developer 33 stored in the developer supply container 32 is supplied between the developing roller 36 and the photosensitive belt 14 by the driving of a pump (P).
In the operation of such a liquid electrophotographic printer, the optical scanning unit 16 scans light onto the circulating photosensitive belt 14, passing by the reset device 15. A latent image is formed on the photosensitive belt 14 by the scanned light. The latent image is developed by the developer 33 supplied from the developer supply container 32 of the developing device 30. A color image is formed on the photosensitive belt 14 by the optical scanning units 16 and the developing devices 30. The optical scanning units 16 scan light having different color information and the developing devices 30 develop color information by the developer 33 having colors corresponding to the color information. Most of the liquid carrier in the developer 33 supplied from the developing device 30 to the photosensitive belt 14 during a developing process is collected in the developer tub 31. The color image formed on the photosensitive belt 14 is first transferred to a transfer roller 21, and passed through the drying device 18 for absorbing, evaporating, and removing the liquid carrier remaining on the photosensitive belt 14 by a continuous movement of the photosensitive belt 14. The image on the transfer roller 21 is then transferred to paper 23 by rotating the transfer roller 21 against a backup roller 22, with the received paper 23 therebetween.
In order to maintain the quality of a picture in the above-mentioned liquid electrophotographic printer, the density of the developer 33 supplied to the photosensitive belt 14, i.e., ratio of toner to liquid carrier, should be appropriately maintained. In order to do this, it is necessary to measure the density of the developer 33 to be supplied to the photosensitive belt 14.
A developer density measuring device, as shown in FIG. 2, includes a density information generator 40, an engine controller 50, and a LUT (look-up table) 51. The density information generator 40 includes a light source 41 for irradiating light to the developer 33 to be examined, and a photodetector 42 located on the opposite side of the light source 41 for receiving light passing through the developer 33 and outputting a signal corresponding to the amount of light received. The density of the developer 33 or a density calculating equation for calculating the density of the developer corresponding to the signal output from the photodetector 42 is recorded in a LUT 51. Therefore, the engine controller 50 for controlling the respective devices of FIG. 1 reads digital information input corresponding to the amount of light received from the photodetector 42 through an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter 43, searches the density of the developer 33 corresponding to the read digital value in the LUT 51, and determines the density of the developer 33. When the density of the calculated developer 33 is outside of a set range, the engine controller 50 controls a concerned pump P and a valve V so that the highly concentrated developer and the liquid carrier are appropriately supplied from the developer supplier 38 to the developer supplying container 32.
Since the developer 33 is consumed during printing, new developer must be supplied after the developer is consumed. Components that form the developer 33 may change due to continuous development of technology for improving the performance of products and printing ability. Therefore, the developer 33 whose components may change may have different optical transmission characteristics. As a result, in order to use a developer 33 whose components may change, a density measuring device suitable for the changing developer is required.
A method of replacing the circuit substrate of the density measuring device whenever the components of the developer 33 to be used are changed requires a complicated circuit substrate replacement task. Thus, it is not economically feasible.